Dainty Decors by Design: Where Does Your Passion Lie?

Dainty Decors by Design: Where Does Your Passion Lie?

Where Does Your Passion Lie?

Often times I have found that Interior Decorating is heavily influenced by inspiration and passion. Frequently I think that this passion is what catapults many interior decorators into their gift, or what I like to call “their calling”. I believe that everyone has a calling, or a specific path that they are unequivocally supposed to follow. How do you know? Well because when you follow your path, or thrust yourself into your “calling”, it’s as if you are just breathing. It’s second nature to you, something you don’t have to think about. Why? Because, it’s your passion, the thing that drives you. I ran across an article by the Chicago Tribune on the latest work of a Chicago Artist, Theaster Gates. Mr. Gates has recently renovated an old Stony Island Trust and Savings Bank located on 68th St. South Stony Island Ave into an “Arts Bank”. The article describes the bank as a $4.5 million renovation in which, Mr. Gates has transformed it into a library and cultural center. This bank will house magazine and book collections of John F. Johnson, founder of Ebony; JET Magazines. This newly renovated building will also house exhibits from all over the country. In the article Gates explained the determination and commitment he had toward finishing the project despite the opposition he faced. The large building that was once abandoned and poorly maintained is now transformed into a magnet for cultural diversity and historical reflection and appreciation. I found this article to be a great read because it speaks volumes about passion and determination. Even though others advised Mr. Gates to walk away, his passion wouldn’t let him throw in the towel. Interior Decorating doesn’t have to be chic, or trendy, it all depends on where your passion lies.

For a complete viewing of the article referenced above, please click here!

"C.O.S.I.T.O.L."

Kids. Family. School. Friends. Work. Relationships. Bills. Fitness..and finally, Vacation! The list really can go on and on – we know! Things don’t always seem to become easier, so we usually find ourselves looking for ways to get some sort of pleasure out of the hectic lives that we live. Although, working out, having a bowl of ice cream, going shopping, or just doing something incredibly spontaneous can take our minds off what is current for a moment, we seem to end up exactly where we started – AT HOME. The place where reality sinks in time and time again, and our excitement comes to an end because it’s at that moment that we realize – nothing about our situation has really changed. We went out, had a good time, and spent some alone time and still…. in the same old environment. It sucks, I know. So, I recently got to thinking on this, and here’s what I was able to come up with: “C.O.S.I.T.O.L.” Now, this one can actually be pronounced out loud – but it also has meaning associated with it – so here goes: Change One Scene. Improve Tons of Lives! Creative, right?! – I’m kidding, anyone could have come up with that. Nonetheless, just think for a moment: “COSITOL” – Change One Scene. Improve Tons of Lives. This may appear to be unrelated to home decorating, but in actuality, it’s really not such a bad idea, when applied.

C.O.S.I.T.O.L. in Theory: 

For most individuals, outside of work, school, and in some cases, church, our homes are the where we spend the most of our time. If it isn’t, it is at least, a place wherein we eat, sleep, wake – up, and celebrate various occasions in – in most cases. Conversely, it can also be the place in our lives that receives the least amount of our attention. Most of the things that I mentioned at the beginning of this post take place outside of the home and have a significant impact on our perception and attitudes when we finally arrive at our last destination for the evening.

The Challenge: 

 Considering all that I have pointed out so far, I would like each of my readers to take on a challenge. I challenge you to pick any room in your home, or if you feel inspired, choose all of them. It could even be a closet if that’s an area that you would prefer to focus on (small, but still somehow still very significant to many home owners). Pick any room in your home, both large and small, and do something different – ChangeOne Scene/Space (C.O.S.). Whether you spend little time or a huge amount of time in your home, I don’t think many realize how much the environment and feel our homes truly make an impact on our lives. In fact, our environment is just one of the five factors that contribute to our happiness levels, in addition to chance events, social conditions, personality, and genetic predisposition.

Top Rated Decoration Blog: "The Inspired Room"

When it comes to browsing the internet for suggestions on how to best improve your space, many home decorating sites come to mind. For many individuals, perhaps your first move is made when clicking on a popular app that has become very widespread within the last few years: Pinterest! Then, there are some that like myself, gets a tremendous amount of inspiration by simply turning on HGTV in the morning while getting dressed. For me, the type of show, featured location, or style doesn’t event matter. I get satisfaction too from keeping up with recent home renovations and some of the coolest extreme homes that exist around the world. However, every now and then, I also find it very beneficial when I’m able to get on the internet and find amazing blog that can too provide inspiration for any current or upcoming home design projects that I have. Well, if you are anything like me, you would love an increasingly popular blog, known as The Inspired Room

For the 2^nd year in a row, the inspired room has been voted as reader's Favorite Decorating Blog by Better Home and Gardens Magazine. This incredible blog is great for anyone, even if you are genuinely not interested in making any revisions to your living space at this time.

Many times, we tend to look for real – life experiences that have influenced various purchasing decisions, as opposed to the number of product sales from store representatives. Notably, one of the coolest aspects of Melissa’s blog, is her willingness to walk readers through her own personal home decorating experiences. Recently, she shared a post and photos of what took place during her own home decorating experience. By visiting the inspired room, visitors are able to click on a Home tour, in which Melissa shows before and after photos of re-decorated spaces, as well as some products (available for purchase), that she used along the way on her "Shop Page".

Lastly, although many other great home decorating resources are featured in the inspired room, the home love stories are one of my favorite sources of inspiration. I strongly urge you to visit the inspired room and immerse yourself in the great experiences presented by Melissa, and many others who have each shared their personal Home Love Stories. 

To Read More on Finding Ways to become inspired by your space Click Here! 
to obtain a copy of, "Kitchen Renovation Planning Guide - Brand New Home Improvement Product"

All in One: How To Improve Your Space

If the Space Designer's Guide Blog wasn't enough to get your brain stimulated, it's always helpful to spend some time browsing the internet for more ideas. I tend to look for things that reflect current trends in the marketplace, such as advancements in home technology, and much more. If you are in search of ways to design a smaller space, remodel one of your rooms, create a space that is more eco-friendly space, there are many ways to do so. I recently ran across the blog for Dwell Media, LLC. If you are looking for a blog with a one-stop shop for design ideas, current trends, unique spaces found in multiple parts of the world, plus more, this is a great company to start with. One aspect of their blog that I found incredibly useful was the Design Source component. Under this tab are posts related to specific parts of the home and some of the most common items within it. This is also the place where one could go to learn more about the Design Services that are offered by Dwell.

For those interested at all in integrating newer technology throughout your home, a blog-post entitled "8 Smart Home Innovations We're to See at CES 2015" by William Lamb, was written in January earlier this year. According to Dwell, CES is the home for all of those that are thrive on the commerce of consumer technologies. For the past 40 years, this conference has served as the place for next-generation innovations to be released and shown to major audiences. Consequently, in this post, the author unveils the Top 8 Technological Innovations that were released at CES and would be great instruments to add to any home.